Electric master switch or electrical timing device for controlling the operations of laundry or other plants or apparatus



July 2, 1946. s. I NEWBERY 2,403,392 ELECTRIC MAsTER SWITCH OR ELECTRICAL TIMING DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATIONS OF LAUNDRY OR OTHER PLANT OR APPARATUS Filed May 18, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 2, 1946. s NEWBERY 2,403,392 ELECTRIC MASTER SWITCH OR ELECTRICAL TIMING DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATIONS OF LAUNDRY OR OTHER PLANT OR APPARATUS Filed May 18, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 QZzvv 131776012 flezsrbery I Patented July 2, 1946 ELECTRIC MASTER SWITCH OR ELECTRICAL TIMING DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATIONS OF LAUNDRY OR OTHER PLANTS OR APPARATUS Stanley Newbery, London, England Application May 18, 1945, Serial No. 594,453 In Great Britain July 2, 1943 6 Claims.

This invention relates to electric master switches or electric timing devices for controlling the operations of laundry or other plant or apparatus and has for its object the provision of a master switch or device which is simple, inexpensive to manufacture and reliable in use.

In my British patent specification No. 424,331 is described a master switch having a rotary contact control arm adapted in timed sequence to make contact with a series of jack sockets into which selected jacks are plugged according to various operations which it is desired to bring under automatic control in any predetermined time relationship or sequence.

The use of jacks with attached cords provides a selective arrangement affording great flexibility of choice and variety of combinations but from the point of View of appearance and legibility, that is to say, the tracing of circuits which have been made, the crossing jack cords may be somewhat confusing and detract from the capacity quickly to appreciate or read any particular layout.

An aim of the present invention is to provide a device afiording an alternative to or improvement upon the switching means described in my above specification, including the provision of circuit selecting means whereby the preselection and tracing of a layout may be facilitated.

The invention consists in a master switch or' electrical control device comprising a contact control member displaceable at a predetermined time rate, a set of parallel wires or rods spaced apart in one plane at predetermined time intervals with respect to the travel of the control member and adapted successively to be energised by the control member, a second set of perational wires or rods connected (or connectable) in different operating circuits of the plant or apparatus and laid in a parallel plane transversely or gridwise to the first set so as to afford separated crossing points and a set of contact pieces for forming conducting bridges between wires of one set and wires of the other set at selectively predetermined crossing points ready to receive current when the control member in succession contacts with the time wires of the selected crossing points.

The sets of wires are preferably fixed relatively to one another in a frame element and the contact pieces comprise jacks adapted to hook on to the wires of one set and to engage the wires of the other set by spring contact elements.

The frame element may be detachably mounted with respect to a supporting frame carrying 2 1 the travelling contact control member, spring contacts being provided on the supporting frame for engagement by the operational wires when the frame element is in its operative position.

The invention will be further described by way of example in reference to a master switch suitable for a laundry washing machine.v

In the accompanying drawingsa Figure l is a front view of a master switch according to the invention as adapted for the control of a laundry washing machine,

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view, and

Figure 3 is a View of a detail.

A rectangular frame I is provided one side of which is located parallel with the rectilinear path of movement of a contact control device 2. The frame is provided with an insulated insert 3 and is hinged or detachably supported by anchor pins 4 in brackets 5 so that it may be brought parallel and spaced apart from the path of movement of the contact control device 2. Two sets of wires are mounted in the insulated insert 3, one set comprising parallel conducting Wires 6 spaced at predetermined time intervals with respect to the travel of the control device 2. For example, the wires 6 may be spaced apart to correspond with minute time intervals. The wires 6 are stretched across the frame to lie at right angles to the path of movement of the contact control device.

Each wire is formed after the manner of a cycle spoke having a head 6a and a tightening nipple 6b, the heads and nipple being located in recesses 1a, 1b in the insulating insert 3.

Another set of wires 8 spaced at appropriate intervals is mounted on the insulating insert 3 and is provided with a similar head Ba and tensioning nipples 81). Each of the wires 8 of this second set is connected or adapted to be connected in a particular circuit of the laundry washing machine corresponding with the operation which the wire is concerned in controlling. The second set of wires 8 (which may be called the operational wires) is arranged transversely at right-angles to the first set 6 so that the plane of each wire of one set, transverse to the plane of the frame, intersects or crosses those of the other set.

The contact control device 2 of which three are providedare mounted upon an endless motor driven chain or band 9 one lap I0 of whichlies parallel with the side of the frame I and at right angles to the time wires 6 so that the contact devices traverse these wires and thence around a terminal sprocket Wheel H. The chain 9 is driven by a sprocket wheel 12 from a motor l3 by a worm M or other suitable reduction gear. Each contact control device is provided with a wiper l5 which engages the wires 6 in succession and a pick up contact I6 which engages a bus bar l1 fixed in position to the rear of the set of time wires 6.

The connection of any particular time wire 5 to any particular operational wire 8 is effected by a bridging contact piece or jack 18 which is adapted to engage the selected wires at the crossing point and form a path for the current from the selected time wire to the selected operational wire.

Each jack comprises a hook 19 adapted to engage the selected time wire 6 and a spring loaded contact 20 adapted to engage the selected operational wire 3 and hold the jack in position.

Located beneath the bus bar is an insulated strip or panel 2| supported upon a fixed frame or plate 22. The strip 2| carries a series of spring contacts 23 adapted to engage the operational wires 8 to energise such wires, the contacts 23 being coupled to appropriate circuits according to the operation that is to be controlled by these wires 8. For connecting the control device with a suitable electric current supply, the bus bar I1 is provided with a terminal contact 21.

As applied to the control of a laundry washing machine the operational wires 8 may be arranged in groups as indicated at the lower part of Figure. 1. For example, one group 24 may comprise wires concerned in the supply of hot water to the washing machine, each member of the group corresponding with a different quantity of hot water to be admitted. There may be a similar group 25 for cold water, another 26 for soap in graded quantities and likewise other groups. Individual wires may be allocated for dispensing fixed quantitles of various other materials employed in the washing process. Also individual wires are provided corresponding with the opening of a steam supply valve and the closing thereof and the opening of the washer outlet and the closing thereof. A wire may be provided for an alarm to give notice of any particular condition or operation and a wire may correspond with a circuit for starting the machine and another for stopping it.

The jacks 18 are mounted in the appropriate positions as indicated for example in Figure 1 according to the scheme of operation required and as a contact device 2 traverses the time wire 6 from the lowest to the uppermost, the various functions of the washing machine are automatically brought into operation together with the supply of water and washing fluids etc.

A number of panels comprising the frame I and the two sets of wires 6 and 8 having different layouts of jacks may be made up and stocked so that the scheme of operation of the washing machine may be quickly changed at will by simply removing one panel and substituting another.

In order to enable the contact devices 2 to be traversed by hand a hand wheel 28 is provided at a convenient position. The hand wheel 28 is mounted on a spindle 29 which carries a sprocket wheel 30 which drives by means of a chain 3| a sprocket wheel 32 mounted on the spindle 33 of the chain sprocket l l. A friction clutch 34 is insorted between the worm wheel 35 driven by the worm 14 of the motor drive to the chain sprocket l2.

The contact control device 2 is provided with indicating fingers 35 and in order to enable the position of the control device to be observed a space may be provided between the operational wires 8 adjacent the path of the control device.

I claim:

1. A master switch or electrical control device for controlling the operations of laundry or other plant, comprising a contact control member displaceable at a predetermined time rate, a set of parallel members spaced apart in one plane at predetermined time intervals with respect to the travel of the contact control member and adapted successively to be energised by the said control member, a second set of operational members connectable in different operating circuits of the plant or apparatus and arranged in a parallel plane transversely to the first set so as to afford separated crossing points, and a set of contact pieces for forming conducting bridging elements between members of one set and members of the other set at selectively predetermined crossing points ready to receive current when the control member in succession contacts with the time members of the selected crossing points.

2. A master switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein a frame element is provided in which the sets of members are fixed relatively to one another and the contact pieces comprise jacks adapted to hook on to the members of one set and spring contact elements to engage the members of the other set.

3. A master switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein a supporting frame is provided for carrying the travelling contact control member, a frame element detachably mounted on the supporting frame for carrying the two sets of members, and spring contacts carried by the supporting frame adapted to engage the operating members when the frame element is in its operative position.

4. A master switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein a motor driven travelling endless memher is provided having a rectilinear path parallel to the plane of the set of time members, a plurality of contact control members mounted at spaced intervals on the endless member and each control member having a wiper contact adapted to engage the time members in succession and a spring con tact engaging a bus bar.

5. A master switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein a motor driven travelling endless member is provided having a rectilinear path parallel to the plane of the said time members, a plurality of contact control members mounted at spaced intervals on the endless member, hand operated means provided to traverse the contact control member, comprising a hand wheel operably connected to the travelling endless member, and a friction clutch in the drive from the motor to the travelling endless member.

6. A master switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein a set of frames are provided each supporting a different arrangement of contact pieces according to alternative layouts suitable for the operation of the plant or apparatus.

STANLEY NEWBERY. 

